Who is this 'We'?

Geoffrey Norman

We’re going to reward risk and entrepreneurship. People are going to have to sweat and sacrifice for their success. But there are some things that we’re also going to do together to make sure that everyone has success. Not everyone’s going to succeed, but everyone’s going to have a shot at success.

Plainly, the president can’t get past criticism of the remarks in which he told successful entrepreneurs that they didn't get there on their own and they aren't really all that smart. The contretemps has been enjoyable but it is also getting increasingly into the weeds with discussions of context and pronoun antecedents and so forth. Assertions that Mitt Romney has said the same thing. That it is all politics and "bogus."

It is politics; no getting away from that. Which might account for why the president made his remarks at a fundraising event. And if an argument over context obscures things then how about checking the tone of the remarks. Does anyone not find that line about how "There are a lot of smart people out there," just a little condescending, in the same way that Elizabeth Warren's schoolmarmish "Good for you," was? These words were not delivered in tones of respect and "We're all in this together," camaraderie. They were meant to put people in their place.

But never mind. The president has now made himself clear. Risk and entrepreneurship are to be rewarded.